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This memorial will stand for the courage and resilience that makes our Nation what it is, together with the values which keep us strong. It will symbolize, in perpetuity, our shared insistence that hope will always triumph over despair; and that, no matter what, our community will endure.

It hardly seems possible that twenty-five years have passed since Stephen Lawrence was so cruelly taken from his family. I remember vividly the profound shock that I felt at his senseless murder, a feeling shared by so many people across this country and beyond.

I pray that this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will not only revitalize the bonds between our countries, but will also give the Commonwealth a renewed relevance to all citizens, finding practical solutions to their problems and giving life to their aspirations.

Not long ago I was fortunate enough to spend time with some of the bravest women I have been privileged to meet. Their experiences not only touched their lives but also the lives of those around them, in the most tragic ways.